Rekha, actress
The caption below the picture is from The Times of India
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A brief biography
The Indian Express sums it up
Aug 7, 2025: The Indian Express
Taunts of of being a ‘lotta’ , Tamil for bastard, followed her wherever she went. As a teenager, she tried to take her own life. She felt unloved and abandoned by her famous father; she was ‘ugly, fat and illegitimate’ by her peers. Born out of wedlock to actors Pushpavalli and Gemini Ganesan, Bhanurekha Ganesan didn’t ever experience her father’s love. When her mother pushed her towards the film business to earn for the household, she went door to door, desperate to meet any producer who’d agree to sign her. Meanwhile, he superstar father didn’t make the one call that could’ve changed her life. Her career in the South didn’t take off like her mother had expected her to, and in 1969, she moved to Mumbai to try her luck in Hindi films. She’d go on to become a superstar, but she suffered innumerable indignities along the way. You and I know her as Rekha.
Her father had several affairs and fathered many children. But he only ever admitted to having one wife. “Savithri was not my wife. Nor were the other women in my life. I did introduce them as my wives in public, had children by them but all those were illegal relationships. I didn’t commit bigamy legally. I’ve just one wife, Bobji, the one I got married to when I was young,” Gemini Ganesan said in an interview. His only legitimate daughter, Narayani, wrote a book about him that featured Rekha. “We all had a great deal of respect for him and for each other. As an actor, appa’s USP was that he had a way with women; he oozed charm and with his candy-box good looks, wide-eyed innocence and gentle ways, he won over the hearts of more than a generation of fans. For them, he was the eternal romantic hero,” she wrote about him, adding about his relationship with her mother, “Theirs was a sustained union that lasted for more than a dozen years with a marriage, household and children. The Gemini-Savithri relationship worked wonders for their private as well as screen lives.”
But while her father was cavorting with other women, Rekha’s mother was left to fend for herself. “Though he never lived with us, we “felt” his presence wherever we went, for whatever we did. My mother constantly spoke about him, his likes and dislikes. Whatever you wish to call it – love or affection – the feeling my mother had towards him was strong and positive that lasted throughout her life,” Rekha told her half-sister Narayani.
In her early teens, Rekha attempted to take her own life. She was revived by the doctors, but Pushpavalli put her foot down. She gave her the option of either getting married, or trying her luck as an actor. It was decided that she’d give films a shot, although she didn’t receive any support from her father. Plus, the entire industry knew who she was, and many refused to work with her fearing Gemini Ganesan’s wrath. Her name was associated with infidelity. She knocked at every door that she could for an opportunity, and she was only 14 at the time. “I was pulled out of the ninth class and made to work when I was 14. At that time it made no sense. I was the pampered child of the family, always given everything I wanted. It seemed to me that we were happy and certainly well-off. I was not to know how much in debt my mother was till much later. So the idea of working in films did not appeal to me at all. I used to refuse to go to the sets and occasionally my brother beat me up,” Rekha told Bombay Magazine in 1986.
“She was 13 or 14 when I did some ad films with her. She didn’t know Hindi and yet she was in the Hindi film industry for some reason. But I can never forget that spark in her eyes and the confidence she had in front of the camera. That was something,” director Shyam Benegal said about Rekha in Yasser Usman’s unauthorised biography.
After her career didn’t take off in the South, Rekha agreed to move to Mumbai and give Hindi films a shot. She was signed by the Nairobi-based businessman Kuljeet Pal, who’d spotted her once at Gemini Studios. She was given an eight-film deal, with Rs 25,000 for the first film, and a Rs 25,000 increment for each successive project. “When I met this dark, plump girl who was playing a small role in a south film, I had an intuition that she would be a star. So, that very night, I met her mother Pushpavalli and signed her daughter on for a five-year contract,” Kuljeet said in a 1979 interview with Jitendra Kothari. “Her mother was very pleased when we came with her first Hindi offer. They were deep in debt. The mother kept asking for money saying, ‘the Kabuliwala is after me.’ Only later I realised she meant those Pathans who lend money at exorbitant rates.”
In an interview with Movie magazine, Rekha recalled, “When I was offered Hindi films, my mother said that not only was it a chance of a lifetime, but that we needed the money. So Iagreed.” It was during this time, when she was finding her way in a strange new city populated by people whose language she didn’t speak, that she was reportedly abused. Journalist Jerry Pinto told Usman, “Rekha could sketch out her journey from a child who came to Bollywood, who went through serial abuse at the hands of producers and film stars and directors, etc. Startling things where she talks about being a child and how people laughed at her.”
Recalling her reluctance to do films at the time, Rekha told Simi Garewal in 2004 that she felt like an object as she slaved away against her will in the harsh world of films. She said, “‘Bombay was like a jungle, and I had walked in unarmed. It was one of the most frightening phases of my life… I was totally ignorant of the ways of this new world. Guys did try and take advantage of my vulnerability. I did feel ‘What am I doing? I should be in school, having an ice-cream, fun with my friends, why am I even forced to work, deprived of normal things that a child should be doing at my age?’ Every single day I cried, because I had to eat what I didn’t like, wear crazy clothes with sequins and stuff poking into my body. Costume jewellery would give me an absolute terrible allergy. Hair spray wouldn’t go off for days even despite all my washing. I was pushed, literally dragged from one studio to another. A terrible thing to do to a 13-year-old child.”
While working on her first film, her co-star Biswajeet concocted a plan to assault her while the cameras were rolling. Without telling her first, he planted a kiss on her lips, and didn’t let go for five minutes. The crew hooted and hollered as Rekha cried. “Rekha was there. She said that she has no reservations against a kissing scene. She said she would do it. I know she now says that she was taken by surprise when Biswajeet kissed her. I only told her that since she is doing something which Hindi film heroines don’t, it will be better if she said she absolutely did not like it. But she knew about this scene in all cases,” Kuljeet said in an interview.
The film in question wasn’t released until a decade later, and by then, Rekha had established herself in the industry. She made her Hindi film debut with Sawan Bhadon in 1970. She was then seen in popular films like Dharmatma, Ghar, Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Mr Natwarlal across the decade. She remains best known for films such as Silsila, Khoon Bhari Maang, and others.
A brief biography
Yasser Usman’s biography
In a new book, author Yasser Usman shows a new side of the Bollywood diva
The kiss in Anjana Safar
The shooting of Anjana Safar was underway in Bombay's Mahboob Studio. Raja Nawathe was the director and cinematographer of the film. In the very first schedule of the film, Kuljeet Pal (the director), Raja and Biswajeet (the lead actor) had hatched a plan, with Rekha as the unsuspecting victim. That day a romantic scene was to be filmed between Rekha and Biswajeet.Every last detail of the strategy had been decided before the shoot. As soon as the director Raj Nawathe said `action', Biswajeet took Rekha in his arms and pressed his lips on hers. Rekha was stunned. This kiss had never been mentioned to her. The camera kept rolling; neither was the director ordering `cut' nor was Biswajeet letting go of her. For all of five minutes, Biswajeet kept kissing Rekha. Unit members were whistling and cheering. Her eyes were tightly shut but they were full of tears.
Recalling the day, Biswajeet referred to the incident as Raja Nawathe's idea. Raja had insisted that he kiss Rekha, not yet fifteen, catching her by surprise. Biswajeet maintained that it was not his f fault, that he was merely working on the director's instructions. `It was not for my enjoyment, but important for the film. Rekha felt betrayed and was f furious,' admitted Biswajeet.
Chappals for the new bride
After getting married in Calcutta, Vinod and Rekha returned to Bombay, and drove straight to Nibbana from the airport. But a storm was waiting to assail them there. Here's what happened that day at the Mehra residence according to a film-maker: As soon as the new bride bent to touch her mother in-law's feet, Kamla Mehra angrily pushed her away . She refused to let Rekha enter her house.She lost her cool and abused and humiliated Rekha, who was standing at the front door. Vinod tried to intervene but Kamla was livid, so angry that at one point she took off her chappal and almost beat up Rekha with it. The poor girl was numb and confused.A crowd started to gather around the flat, and Rekha, stunned, hurt and shook up, started to run towards the lift, her eyes burning with tears. Vinod followed and told her to stay at her house till his mother calmed down.
Drama at Rishi-Neetu shaadi
22 January , 1980. The occasion was Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Sin gh's wedding. Neetu was a close friend of Rekha's. The whole of R K Studio was grandly bedecked. The biggest names of the industry were in attendance, including Amitabh Bachchan, his wife, Jaya, and his parents.The party was in full flow. Amitabh was talking to Manmohan Desai in a corner and Jaya was sitting with her motherin-law, Teji Bachchan, when Rekha made a sensational entry . Dressed in a magnificent white sari, Rekha had a bright red bindi on her forehead. But what caught everyone's eye was the generous dabbing of sindoor in her hair.
The cameras instantly pivoted away from Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, and frenetically photographed Rekha's curious new look. The dull drone of everyone murmuring and whispering filled the evening air; everyone wanted to know: had Rekha married?
According to the Cine Blitz report, after congratulating Rishi and Neetu, Rekha went and stood bang in the mid dle of R K Studio's garden. When had she ever shied away from attention, or controversy? But her eyes kept darting towards Amitabh every other second.
Gathering courage, Rekha took hold of her close friend Snehlata Pandey , the doctor who is credited with introducing Rekha to aerobics and better diets, and went over to where Amitabh was stand ing. All eyes, quite naturally, followed te naturally , followed her. They were seen chatting formally for a few minutes. Ac cording to a report in Stardust, `Jaya tried to keep a stoic front for a long time, but eventually she had to bend her head and let the tears roll down.' A few moments later, Rekha exited the party, leaving be hind a trail of unan swered questions. In a somewhat anticli mactic interview, Rekha later cleared the air: that evening, she had come to the reception straight from a shoot. The sindoor and mangalsutra she was wear ing were part of her get-up for a film, which she had forgotten to remove.
But according to a report pub lished in Movie in June 1982, at a National Awards function, Rekha, who was being honoured with the award for best actress for Umrao Jaan (1981), was asked by then pres ident Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, `Why do you have sindoor in your maang?' Rekha promptly replied into the mike, `In the city I come from, it's fashionable to wear sindoor.'
Edited excerpts from Rekha: The Untold Story with permission from Juggernaut Books
March 2017: rumour about Rekha marrying Sanjay Dutt
OOPS! False rumour of Rekha-Sanjay Dutt’s marriage goes viral|- Mar 6, 2017| The Times of India
In March 2017 a rumour about Bollywood’s 'Ageless Diva' Rekha wearing vermilion (sindoor) for actor Sanjay Dutt went viral on the internet. Apparently, this fake news spread like wildfire although it was absolutely false. Let’s take a look at what actually happened and how did it all started!
Several reports made shocking claims that Rekha was secretly married to Sanjay Dutt and this was the reason the actress always applies vermilion on her forehead.
Reportedly, these details were mentioned in a book on the actress, ‘Rekha- The Untold Story’, written by Yasser Usman, which was published last year.
However, Yasser Usman denied all the reports and slammed it. He said in an interview, “Rekha and Sanjay Dutt were working in a film together, probably Zameen Aasmaan (1984). The rumours of their affair surfaced at that time. In fact, some went on to say that they got married. These rumours became so strong that Sanjay Dutt had to deny the allegations in a magazine. It was an official denial.”
Usman added, “There wasn’t any marriage. This became big only because Dutt had to deny it officially.”
When Rekha had gone to receive the National Award for Umrao Jaan in 1982, she told reporters, “In the city I come from, it is fashionable to wear sindoor.”
The sindoor on Rekha’s forehead has often caused a stir amongst the paparazzi.
Many people are aware that Rekha secretly married to Vinod Mehra in Calcutta. Although, Vinod’s mother was furious at this decision and didn’t allow Rekha to enter the house.
Rekha also shocked the nation when she announced her marriage with Mukesh Agarwal. But the marriage didn't survive for long and Mukesh committed suicide.
The much-talked about love-story between Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha started on the sets of the film Do Anjaane. Reportedly, the couple used to meet in a bungalow that belonged to Rekha's friend.
Rumours also started doing rounds that Amitabh and Rekha got married as she turned up at Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh's wedding wearing sindoor and mangalsutra.
Trying to avoid each other, Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan have been spotted on various award functions and parties.
However, Rekha has made no comment on the fake 'Sindoor' news which is making headlines [in 2017].
Amitabh Bachchan
Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan's offscreen camaraderie garnered more eyeballs than their onscreen chemistry. Rumour mills went abuzz with their link up stories. But neither of them ever came out to deny or accept these allegations. Rekha's equation with the Bachchan family has always been mired in controversies. In an interview with Simi Garewal on her show, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, Rekha spoke at length about her equation with superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Let's find out the deepest secrets Rekha had kept hidden from the world.
In the interview, Rekha had said, "Standing in front of Mr Amitabh Bachchan is not easy." She also revealed that the moment she got to know that Amitabh Bachchan had been signed for Do Anjane, she was paranoid. It was his Deewar image that had stuck to Rekha's mind. Rekha also said that she was nervous during the entire shoot of the film. She also recalled a funny experience with Amit ji and said that she was so nervous because of his presence that she used to forget her lines. And then one day, Amitabh Bachchan told her, in his baritone, "Suniye...zara dialogue yaad kar lijiyega."
Rekha also said that she had a lot of respect for Amitabh Bachchan because of his talent and his dedication towards his craft. She also said that in a way, Amitabh Bachchan had inspired her to transform into the Rekha people know today. "I have never seen him express pain. Ghode se giro, pahad se giro, barf mein nange paon jao, whatever you do never express pain," she said. She recalled how during the shoot of Ganga Ki Saugandh, Amitabh Bachchan used to get hurt but the more he used to get hurt, the better his performance turned out to be.
"People come and go in your life. It is upto you choose how you want to associate with that person. It is upto you to learn and imbibe things from such a person," Rekha said. Rekha also accepted the fact that she was fascinated by Amitabh Bachchan. She also said that she had never seen or met anyone before him, who had so many good qualities.
When Simi asked Rekha if she ever fell in love with Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha said, "Absolutely. I am yet to come across a single man, women, child who can't help but fall completely, passionately, insanely, desperately, specially hopelessly in love with him." But Rekha also said that there was never any personal connection with him at all. On being asked why she has never denied it in public, Rekha said, "It just did not happen. It is not worth denying."
On being asked about a rift between Rekha and Jaya Bachchan, Rekha said, "Not at all. Didibai is much more mature. She is much more together. She's got so much dignity, so much class. She's got a lot of strength, I admire that woman." She also said that she does not think Jaya Bachchan was affected by these rumours.
